What's Conditions A-Z?

In Conditions A-Z, we offer suggestions for people confronted with specific diagnoses or suffering from specific symptoms.

It is not our intention to diagnose or treat, and this information does not eliminate the need for timely and appropriate medical evaluation or your providers' recommendations for treatment options. Rather, it is meant to introduce you to new perspectives and expand your therapeutic possibilities.

Whatever your diagnosis or symptoms, we recommend that you get a thorough and timely medical evaluation. For tips on working with a healthcare provider to receive optimal care, see Navigate the Healthcare System.

If a system of care or a specific therapy is not mentioned, it doesn't mean that it isn't effective. We have tried to suggest those approaches for which there may be the most research, clinical experience, or patient reports. We are also attempting to expose readers to the widest possible range of therapeutic considerations, across a spectrum of options.

Limitations of Working from a Diagnosis

Please know that we recognize the apparent contradiction of beginning a conversation about holistic and integrative options within the limitations of a conventional medical diagnosis.

Conventional medical diagnoses are seldom directly translatable to other systems of care, such as homeopathy because each system has a unique way of understanding how the body works. Each system has a different perspective on the underlying cause of symptoms, the process of disease and healing, and the method for diagnosis and treatment.

However, we know that in our conventional, modern-day medicine, many of us are prompted to seek information when given a diagnosis by our physician; so it is here that we have chosen to begin.

Factors to Consider

When considering the conventional medical treatments listed, it is helpful to know that the medical norm for evaluation and treatment are outlined nationally by professionally agreed upon standards of care and scope of practice. However, in reality, there is variance from region to region and from rural to urban.

Additionally, your age, general state of health, geographic access, resources, and other considerations are always factors in a therapeutic plan. Not all therapies are appropriate for all individuals with a specific condition.

It is our hope that active consumers, informed and engaged in their own healthcare, can openly discuss treatment options as they make decisions with their patient-centered healthcare team.